My Top 5 Favorite LA Restaurants

I’m very lucky to go to an amazing school in an amazing city. What makes my experience so amazing? Is it the research I’ve done? The people I’ve met? The classes I’ve taken? Sure, those things are great, but let’s be real: it’s all about the food.

So here it is: my list of my top 5 favorite eateries in LA.

1. Urth Caffe

This is my all time favorite restaurant. It’s all organic, fresh, food and it’s all completely delicious. Some of my favorite menu items include: Butternut Squash and Ricotta Pizza, Caprese Panini, Bread Pudding, and even Strawberry Pineapple smoothies. They have a wide variety of options, and I’ve never had a bad meal there. Urth is located in a couple of different places – the one that is closest to USC is in downtown LA. I go there all the time for brunch, and I always see people from USC there.

A caprese panini from Urth!

Chris and I with our Green Tea Boba and Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie!

2. Diddy Riese

Diddy Riese is another amazing dessert place in LA. It’s not as close to campus as Urth, but it is equally delicious. Diddy Riese bakes thousands of cookies a day in a variety of colors, and sells them either as dozens, singles, or ice cream sandwiches. MY favorite thing to get there are the ice cream sandwiches, because you get to pick the flavors of the cookies and the flavors of the ice cream!

My first trip to Diddy Riese during Freshmen year with Jodie and Jolie!

3. Blu Jam Cafe

I tried this restaurant earlier this year. It’s located on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, right at the heart of a vintage shopping area. What I loved about this place, aside from the food, was that while waiting for a table, they allowed us to wander around and shop! It was a really crowded restaurant, but that definitely helped with the wait. They have both lunch and breakfast foods, which is perfect for me since brunch is my favorite meal. Although I’ve only been to Blu Jam once, it was amazing and I can’t wait to go back.

An egg scramble with beans, salsa, avocado and tomato from Blu Jam!

4. La Barca

La Barca is an authentic Mexican restaurant on Vermont, very close to campus. I absolutely love Mexican food, so La Barca has become one of my favorite restaurants. They have awesome chips and salsa, a fun ambiance, and the food is really authentic and delicious. I go there often before Sorority Invites or Exchanges, I went for my 20th birthday, and I go there just for fun!

My roommates at my 20th birthday!

At La Barca with friends for a night out!

5. LA Cafe

LA Cafe is possibly the best gift anyone could give to a college student. Located in the heart of downtown LA, this restaurant offers burgers, salads, paninis, smoothies, breads, baked goods, and just about anything else you could ever desire – and they offer it for delivery, 24/7. LA Cafe is both convenient and delicious, and it can be brought directly to your doorstep. It’s the perfect study snack, post-gameday meal, or pre-invite dinner.

So there you have it: Sam’s list of favorite restaurants. There are so many amazing places in LA that I have yet to explore, and I can’t wait to add to this list.